open, eyes unblinking.
She followed his gaze, looking down the hall, and found herself sharing his expression, eyes going wide with horror.
‘L-Lord Emissary,’ she gasped breathlessly.
A pale corpse lay at Evenhands’ feet, motionless in a pool of rapidly leaking blood. Miron’s sunken shoulders rose and fell with staggered breaths, his hands trembled at his sides. The blues and whites of his robes were tainted black with his attacker’s blood. The elderly gentleness of his face was gone, replaced by wrinkles twisted with undiluted fury.
‘Evenhands,’ Denaos said, moving forwards tentatively. ‘Are you all right?’
The priest’s head jerked up with such sudden anger as to force the rogue back a step. His eyes were narrowed to black slits, his lips curled in a toothy snarl. Then, with unnatural swiftness, his face untwisted to reveal a bright-eyed gaze punctuated by a broad, gentle smile.
‘I am well. Thank you for your concern,’ he replied in a trembling breath. ‘Forgive the scene. One of these . . .’ he looked down at the pale man disdainfully, ‘brutes attacked me as I went to see what was happening on deck.’
‘We’re still under attack, Lord Emissary,’ Asper said, stepping forwards. ‘It would be safer if you remained in your quarters.’
‘Yes, of course,’ he replied with a shaking nod. ‘But . . . be careful out there, my friends. These are no mere pirates.’
‘What do you mean, Lord Emissary?’ Asper asked, tilting her head at the priest.
As Miron opened his mouth to reply, he was cut off by a sudden response from Denaos.
‘It’s the tattoos,’ the rogue said, eyeing the priest, ‘isn’t it?’
‘Indeed.’ Miron’s reply was grim. ‘They are adornments of an order who serve a power far crueller than any pirate. Their appearance here is . . . unexpected.’
‘A power?’ Asper asked, frowning. ‘They’re . . . priests?’
‘Of a sort.’
‘Then why do they side with the pirates, Lord Emissary?’
‘There is no time to explain,’ Miron replied urgently. ‘Your friends require your aid above.’ He raised his hands in a sign of benediction. ‘Go forth, and Talanas be with you in your—’
A door slammed further down the corridor. Miron whirled about, Denaos and Asper looking over his shoulders to spy the fifth intruder darting away from the direction of the priest’s quarters. He paused to regard the trio warily for a moment, clutching a square silk pouch tightly to his chest.
‘Drop that, you filth!’ Miron roared with a fury not befitting his fragile frame.
The creature’s reply was a mouth opened to reveal twin rows of pointed, serrated teeth in a feral hiss. Without another moment’s hesitation, he stuffed his prize into a burlap sack and tore down the hallway.
‘Stop him!’ Miron bellowed, charging after the fleeing infiltrator. ‘STOP HIM! He must not have that book!’
‘What’s so important about it?’ Denaos called after him.
The priest did not respond, rushing headlong into the shadows of the hold. Denaos opened his mouth to repeat the question, but the breath was knocked from him as Asper shoved her way past, hurrying after the priest. With a sigh, Denaos shook his head and sprinted after them both.
Pirates, boneless beasts, books worth dying for, he thought grimly, all in one day. Whatever distressed young ladies are rescued from this mess had better be disgustingly grateful.
Five
COUNTING KOU’RU
Screaming from above, an arrow caught a tardy pirate crawling across the chain. It struck deep into his neck, forcing a blood-choked gurgle from the man as he lost his grip on the bridge of links and went tumbling headfirst into the churning waters below.
‘Eight,’ Kataria remarked, nocking another arrow.
Her bowstring sang a melancholy dirge for the next pirate struck, the shict grinning as he fell to join his companion in the liquid tomb.
‘Nine,’ she added, drawing another missile.
‘Stop it,’ Quillian growled in response, levelling her crossbow towards the deck. ‘You’re shattering my concentration. ’
‘You have to concentrate to lose?’ Kataria asked coolly as she loosed her arrow. ‘How sad. Ten.’
‘I have to concentrate to make sure I don’t kill the wrong people,’ Quillian snapped back. She squeezed the trigger on her weapon and sent a bolt flying down to meet one of the deck-bound invaders below.
‘So you kill a few of your own along with the pirates.’ Kataria laughed. ‘It’s not like anyone was expecting you to do your job flawlessly.’ She winked an emerald eye. ‘You’re only human.’ Her bow hummed and someone screamed from below. ‘Eleven.’
‘You stupid savage,’ Quillian muttered, loading her crossbow.
‘You’re just upset that you’re losing.’ She launched another arrow. ‘To look, one would think